Oil supply device

ABSTRACT

A motor vehicle and an oil supply device for a chain drive of a combustion engine for the motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to an oil collection device for collecting leakage oil of a component in the combustion engine and a feed line connected to the oil collection device, via which the leakage oil collected in the oil collection device can be fed to the chain drive.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No.102010005827.0, filed Jan. 27, 2010, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to an oil supply device for a chain drive ofa combustion engine of a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

In order to be able to guarantee a perfect function of a chain drive ona combustion engine a continuous feed of lubricating oil to the chaindrive has to be ensured. Through the feed of lubricating oil to thechain drive both adequate cooling as well as adequate lubrication of thechain drive or the chain of the chain drive is guaranteed. Usually, thesupply of the chain drive with lubricating oil is affected by way of anozzle connected to a high-pressure oil supply. However the oilrequirement of the entire combustion engine is increased in the process,as a result of which an increased drive output of the oil pump isrequired at the same time.

In view of the foregoing, it is at least one object to make available anoil supply device for a chain drive of a combustion engine, which ischaracterized by a high efficiency and by means of which the oilrequirement of the entire combustion engine can be reduced. In addition,other objects, desirable features and characteristics will becomeapparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and theappended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings andthis background.

SUMMARY

The oil supply device for a chain drive of a combustion engine comprisesan oil collection device for collecting leakage oil of a component ofthe combustion engine and a feed line connected to the oil collectiondevice, via which the leakage oil collected in the oil collection devicecan be fed to the chain drive.

The leakage oil emerging from a component of the combustion engineaccording to the invention is collected and directly fed to the chaindrive as lubricating oil, so that a separate oil supply of a chain drivecan be at least reduced, if not omitted completely. Because of this, theleakage oil of the component can be efficiently further utilized beforeit is transported back into the oil pan via oil returns. By using theleakage oil of a component of the combustion engine as lubricating oilfor a chain drive the overall oil consumption of a combustion engine canbe clearly reduced. Preferentially, the component from which the leakageoil is collected is a bearing element in the combustion engine, whichpreferentially is arranged adjacently to the chain drive to belubricated. In addition, it is also possible to use leakage oil of acomponent other than that of a bearing element of a combustion engine aslubricating oil for a chain drive in that said leakage oil is collectedthrough the oil collection device and fed to the chain drive.

Advantageously it is provided that the oil collection device is designedin the shape of a tub. By designing the oil collection device as a tub,the leakage oil can be collected and accumulated efficiently so that itcan be ensured that sufficient leakage oil is collected under alloperating conditions and possible installation positions of thecombustion engine in order to be able to guarantee adequate lubricationof the chain drive at any time. Alternatively to this it isadvantageously provided that the oil collection device is designed inform of a beveled surface. Through the provision of a beveled surfacethe oil collection device has a certain slope, which is preferentiallydesigned such that it already imposes a flow direction in the directionof the feed line on the collected leakage oil so that it can beprevented that oil deposits, which do not flow in the direction of thefeed line, form in the oil collection device. The connection of the oilcollection device to the feed line in this case is preferentiallyprovided at the lowest point of the beveled surface.

Preferably it is additionally provided that the feed line is passedthrough an opening in a housing surrounding the chain drive. By way ofthe housing the leakage oil can be guided from the feed line on to thechain drive or the chain of the chain drive. The opening can for examplebe designed as a bore or as a passage cast into the housing, which isalready molded into the sand core of the die cast mold of the housingwhen manufacturing the housing. The opening allows a simple feed of theleakage oil on to the chain drive.

For specific feeding of the leakage oil to the chain drive one orseveral guide elements adjoining the feed line are additionallyprovided. The guide elements preferentially extend from the opening asfar as to immediately on the chain drive so that the leakage oil can bespecifically fed to the chain drive in a certain desired position. Ifthe component is designed as bearing element, preferentially as camshaftbearing, and if a chain drive directly adjacent to the camshaft bearing,for example a timing chain, is lubricated with the leakage oil of thecamshaft bearing as lubricating oil, the guide elements can for examplebe designed as a bore in the timing case. In addition it is possible toprovide an open tub on the timing case, as a result of which airaccumulations can be prevented. Alternatively, it is additionallypossible that the guide elements are designed in the form of aprotrusion on the cylinder head or through separate guiding components,through which the leakage oil can be specifically fed to the chaindrive. In addition it is advantageously provided that the feed line isdesigned in the form of a bore. Because of this it is possible toprovide the feed line in the combustion engine in a simple mannerwithout additional components being required for this purpose.

In addition, a combustion engine is provided comprising an oil supplydevice for a chain drive as designed and further developed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction withthe following drawing FIG. 1 that shows a schematic representation of anoil supply device of a combustion engine according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit or the application and uses. Furthermore, there isno intention to be bound by any theory presented in the precedingbackground or summary or the following detailed description.

The oil supply device comprises an oil collection device 10 in the formof a tub, by means of which leakage oil of a component 12, in theexemplary embodiment shown here as bearing element, preferentially of acamshaft bearing, is collected. The oil collection device 10 is locatedbelow the component 12. The oil collection device 10 is connected to afeed line 14 in the bottom region 22 of the oil collection device 10,which with this exemplary embodiment is introduced into the combustionengine in the form of a bore. At the end of the feed line 14 locatedopposite the oil collection device 10 an opening 16 in the form of abore is formed on the feed line 14 or on a housing 20 at least partiallysurrounding a chain drive 18, via which the leakage oil as lubricatingoil is fed to a chain drive 18, which is preferentially arrangedadjacently to the component 12 in the combustion engine. Adjoining theopening 16 additional guide elements which are not shown here can beprovided for the specific feeding of the leakage oil on to the chaindrive 18.

The component 12 can for example be designed as a camshaft bearing andthe chain drive 18 as a timing chain of a combustion engine. However, itis also possible to provide such a lubrication by way of an oil supplydevice on other chain drives, for example on chains for drivingbalancing shafts, wherein in the case of the lubrication of a chain or achain drive for driving balancing shafts the component 12 is designed asa crankshaft bearing.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in theforegoing summary and detailed description, it should be appreciatedthat a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciatedthat the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are onlyexamples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detaileddescription will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient roadmap for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elementsdescribed in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope asset forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

1. An oil supply device for a chain drive of a combustion engine,comprising: an oil collection device adapted to collect leakage oil of acomponent in the combustion engine; and a feed line connected to the oilcollection device with which the leakage oil collected in the oilcollection device can be fed to the chain drive.
 2. The oil supplydevice according to claim 1, wherein the oil collection device is a tub.3. The oil supply device according to claim 1, wherein the oilcollection device is a beveled surface.
 4. The oil supply deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the feed line is passed through an openingin a housing at least partially surrounding the chain drive.
 5. The oilsupply device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide elementadjoining the feed line adapted to provide a specific feeding of theleakage oil on to the chain drive,
 6. The oil supply device according toclaim 1, wherein the feed line is a bore.
 7. A motor vehicle,comprising: a combustion engine; a chain drive of the combustion engine;and an oil supply device for the chain drive, comprising: an oilcollection device adapted to collect leakage oil of a component in thecombustion engine; and a feed line connected to the oil collectiondevice with which the leakage oil collected in the oil collection devicecan be fed to the chain drive.
 8. The motor vehicle according to claim7, wherein the oil collection device is a tub.
 9. The motor vehicleaccording to claim 7, wherein the oil collection device is a beveledsurface.
 10. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the feedline is passed through an opening in a housing at least partiallysurrounding the chain drive.
 11. The motor vehicle according to claim 7,further comprising a guide element adjoining the feed line adapted toprovide a specific feeding of the leakage oil on to the chain drive, 12.The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the feed line is a bore.